How many rods is too many?

[Bassdestroyer]

What are your opinions? How many rods for a bank fisherman, is too many? 1? 3? 5? Or more?

[kickerfish1]

I would say there isn't a magical number. I would only carry up to 4 but, I think 2 is about ideal.

 

If you have the funds and enjoy technique specific gear than get whatever number you can. Sometimes a jerkbait or dropshot rod for can be a seasonal niche rod or technique so you wouldn't need them all the time. You can also go for more general and all around gear too.

[jsh32]

When im going to be bank fishing and walking a little distance I like to carry 3 rods. one spinning for small baits and two baitcasters, usually my worm and jig rod and a rod for moving baits.

[Scarborough817]

according to my parents more than 1 realistically though i think more than 6 or 8 is a little much from a boat and from the bank i would say no more than 3 

[fishwizzard]

I couldn't stand carrying more then a single rod the few times I tried it.  I am currently hemming and hawing over buying a high-end telescoping casting rod so that I can hike in/out without having a rod in my hands.  For more civilized bank fishing where my car is never going to be more then say 1/2 mile away, I just walk back to the car when I want to change up rods.   

[Last_Cast]

no such things as too many.

[Deleted account]

Depends on how and where you are fishing, but I find when bank fishing one or two rods works best, anything more just slows me down.

[Team9nine]

Yep - 2 is one too many rods from the bank. I'll take mobility over "just in case" every time. Same goes for tackle - everything that will fit in a pocket or two over boxes and bags (just in case) all day, every day  

 

T9

[The Bassman]

9 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

Yep - 2 is one too many rods from the bank. I'll take mobility over "just in case" every time. Same goes for tackle - everything that will fit in a pocket or two over boxes and bags (just in case) all day, every day  

 

T9

 

Contrary to popular thinking I tend to be more productive with a minimum of tackle.  I try to think out what will work best before I go. Too much stuff has me changing too often.  Besides, in my case just try wading with two outfits.

[WRB]

1 more than you need!

I keep about 15 outfits in my rod locker and use maybe 3 to 4 of them each outing but don't know in advance what outfit I will be using on any particular trip.

Haven't counted my rod & reel inventory for awhile estimate is over 30 if I include salt water and fly fishing.

Tom

[DaveT63]

I usually have 4 or 5 in my truck at any given time.  After accidently leaving one at a pond one day, and later coming back to find it gone, I take no more than one out of the truck at a time.  I just walk back to the truck when I want to swap rods.  FWIW, I got the rod I left behind back after leaving a message at the pond with my name and number.  I got lucky that time around.  Might not happen next time.  For me, or for you if you ever leave one.

[IgotWood]

Depends on the water, and season. When I fish a spot I am very familiar with, I should be able to predict which techniques, and which baits I will be fishing. Having said that, I would carry only one rod, if I could....maybe two, max. If I am fishing unfamiliar water, and I know I will be a good distance away from my car, I'll maybe consider carrying 2-3 rods.

[fishwizzard]

26 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

Yep - 2 is one too many rods from the bank. I'll take mobility over "just in case" every time. Same goes for tackle - everything that will fit in a pocket or two over boxes and bags (just in case) all day, every day  

 

T9

 

Yep, I have a super small fly fishing chest pack for small rivers/ponds and a larger sling for longer trips or bigger waters.  When I have a single rod I usually take whatever lure(s) I am currently working on and then something that is totally opposite.  So if I am going to hit up a lake to work on jerkbaits I will throw a small pencil case full of senkos into my bag and maybe a light jig or two.  If I am wading a river with my Ned rod then I will have a small box of micro cranks, spinners, and other reaction baits with me.  

 

Now, my car usually has a duffel bag with about 4-7 Plano 3600 boxes full of different stuff in it so if I really need something else, I can run back and grab it.  

[rippin-lips]

42 minutes ago, The Bassman said:

 

Contrary to popular thinking I tend to be more productive with a minimum of tackle.  I try to think out what will work best before I go. Too much stuff has me changing too often.  Besides, in my case just try wading with two outfits.

I wade a lot using 2 rods. I wear a backpack and keep a few bags of plastics and a plano 3700 box with my terminal tackle and hardbaits in it. I stick the spare rod in the backpack and zip it up. You can move freely and switch rods when you need to. 

[BrackishBassin]

For a pond or something close to a parking lot, 3 is reasonable. For the lake I fish that has a trail that's 7 miles long around it, 2 is a stretch and I'd never attempt 3. If I went wading, I'd go with a single rod.

 

Anytime I do shoreline stuff for saltwater, I only ever carry one rod. But it's significantly heavier gear and the rod is a heck of a lot longer that anything I use for freshwater. My tackle is also a lot heavier (an assortment of sinkers ranging from 1/2 to 6oz, spool of 40lb mono for leaders/rigs, etc.) so I need to lighten up somewhere.

[JustJames]

I normally will bring only one rod since Ill be walking and casting a lot along the bank. I also can re-tie new lures faster than walking back and forth. Believe me sometime I leave the other rod behind that I cant even see it from distant if I bring two rods.

 

Occationally Ill bring two rods but that rod will be for specific lure that I know I will fish all the time the whole trip.

[fish-fighting-illini]

I do a lot of bank fishing for bass in the dark and only for about 2hrs per outing so time is of the essence. Thus getting, into the tackle box, retying and all that stuff not to mention dealing with the flashlight wastes a ton of time.

As a result I carry at least 2 rods and sometimes 3. I have them pre-rigged with what I want to use so I can have up to 3 ready to go options. 

[The Bassman]

41 minutes ago, rippin-lips said:

I wade a lot using 2 rods. I wear a backpack and keep a few bags of plastics and a plano 3700 box with my terminal tackle and hardbaits in it. I stick the spare rod in the backpack and zip it up. You can move freely and switch rods when you need to. 

 

I can see how that would work but I spend a lot of time in small creeks.  Overhanging branches and such would make that impractical  for me.  I'm glad it serves your fishing style.

[Darren.]

The answer is, it's up to you.

 

Personally, if I'm dock fishing, I like to have 1 or two
at the most - unless it's long pole (no reel, fixed length
of line, float, etc.)

 

If I know I'm walking from spot to spot, 1 is good.

 

Kayaking, I've taken from 1 to 5. 5 definitely too many 
for my liking. Too many rods to position if I'm going 
under low hanging trees, bridges, etc.

 

My sweet spot is 2 rods, sometimes 3 when kayaking.

And like @The Bassman, I don't take all my bait. I try
to take what is proven where I fish....

[blckshirt98]

100% shore guy and I try to bring just one rod as often as possible.  It's usually a MF or MXF spinning rod that I can use for finesse and light hardbaits (crankbaits,topwater).  Sometimes I'll bring a second glass/composite rod when the bite is good and I'll want to throw heavier stuff like chatterbaits or larger squarebills.  If I'm going to a completely new body of water I'll bring a third to avoid having to change/re-tie as I try to figure the lake out.  But 3 is my absolute limit.  Any more and I spend more time carrying/setting down/juggling around rods than fishing and it becomes a chore.  On top of that it takes one moment of a drop in concentration for baits to be  tangled up in each other and I need to spend time trying to untangle the lines.

["hamma"]

   A light backpack with the essentials spread out in the side and and smaller front pockets, spare hat, sunglasses, pliers, line clippers, sunscreen, bugspray, afterbite, etc,..

  In the big pocket I have 2 planos, a 3700 with hardbaits, and a 3600 for terminal tackle and jigs, in the smaller pocket I have bags of plastics., and a tackle wrap with several different spinnerbaits. 

  I will carry two rods,. one being a 6' med heavy baitcaster for jigs, plastics,and spinnerbaits,... and the other a 6' med action spinning for treble hooked lures. 

  I have developed this system over the past 30 or 40 years or so, and have found this to be the easiest, and most effective way to bankfish for bass.

  I have another backpack for trout fishing the shorelines as well.

 

[Jeff H]

I don't shore/bank fish much but I do a little bit of wading.  Never more than 1 rod with me.

 

In the boat it's whole different deal though

[CTBassin860]

? To many rods!

Ill make rod setup for throwing only jitterbugs simply to justify buying a new rod.

[jr231]

When I bank fish.. I usually bring 4 rods... One spinning I use for lightweight and weightless one casting for heavier and moving lures,

And I bring a really small ultra light that I use for panfish if the bass are slow , and I almost always use a bluegill as bait on the 4th rod I bring for catfish. I'm never dissapointed fighting a big ol' fat ugly catfish. 

 

[CTBassin860]

4 minutes ago, Yeajray231 said:

When I bank fish.. I usually bring 4 rods... One spinning I use for lightweight and weightless one casting for heavier and moving lures,

And I bring a really small ultra light that I use for panfish if the bass are slow , and I almost always use a bluegill as bait on the 4th rod I bring for catfish. I'm never dissapointed fighting a big ol' fat ugly catfish. 

 

I had 40 dollar BPS doughbait special UL that I never used and returned it.Thats a good idea,I may have to go re buy it.

Just now, MassBassin508 said:

I had 40 dollar BPS doughbait special UL that I never used and returned it.Thats a good idea,I may have to go re buy it.

A bunch of kivver is better than no bass